Case Study: Hysterectomy Results in Incontinence

Compensation: £150,000

Pamela, 42, Nottingham

A woman has received £150,000 compensation after a hysterectomy operation was not properly carried out causing persistent incontinence.

Pamela had always had very heavy and painful periods resulting in anaemia and fatigue and when she was 42 her GP referred her to a gynaecologist.

Some months later she underwent an abdominal hysterectomy and was told that it had “gone like clockwork”. As all appeared well she was discharged home two days later.

Once at home Pamela began to feel unwell and developed diarrhoea and vomiting. This, according to the hospital staff was gastric flu, which continued for several days, and then a week after the operation she noticed that she was passing urine via the vagina.

She was readmitted to hospital where a connection between the bladder and the vagina (a fistula) was diagnosed. She was catheterised and it was decided to leave this in for three or four weeks to allow the fistula to heal on its own.

Pamela was sent home with the catheter in situ but she continued to leak urine. On further examination she was advised that the leak was coming from the left ureter, rather than the bladder (a uretero-vaginal fistula) which had been damaged during the hysterectomy, and a stent (small tube) was inserted into the ureter in an attempt to stop the leakage.

Unfortunately, this was not successful and Pamela required a re-implantation of the ureter six months after the initial surgery.

Pamela continues to have a degree of urinary incontinence, something she finds very difficult to cope with and which impinges on her daily life.

Settlement

The hospital trust admitted that the damage to Pamela’s ureter during surgery meant the surgery had been substandard and the case was settled by Angharad Hughes, one of JMW’s specialist solicitors, for £150,000.

If you have suffered in a similar way to Pamela, give us a call to discuss the situation and to see whether you could be entitled to compensation. Ring us today on 0800 054 6512, or complete our online enquiry form and a member of our friendly team will get in touch with you.